Universiti Putra Malaysia (Graduate Studies) RULES 2003: (REVISION 2015 - 2016)

UNIVERSITI PUTRA MALAYSIA
(GRADUATE STUDIES)
RULES 2003
[REVISION 2015 – 2016]
UNIVERSITIES AND UNIVERSITY COLLEGES ACT 1971

CONSTITUTION OF UNIVERSITI PUTRA MALAYSIA
SCHOOL OF GRADUATE STUDIES

UNIVERSITI PUTRA MALAYSIA (GRADUATE STUDIES)

RULES 2003 [REVISION 2015-2016]
School of Graduate Studies

Universiti Putra Malaysia
UNIVERSITI PUTRA MALAYSIA (GRADUATE STUDIES)

RULES 2003 [REVISION 2015-2016]
TABLE OF CONTENTS
No. Content Page
PREFACE vii
PART 1 – PRELIMINARY
1. Citation and Commencement 1
2. Definitions and Interpretations 1
PART 2 – PROGRAMMES OF STUDY
3. Types of Degree Programmes 3
4. PhD and Master’s Degree by Research 4
5. Master’s Degree by Coursework 4
6. Master’s Degrees in the Medical Fields 5
7. Split/Jointly Awarded and Dual/Cotutelle Degree 5

Programmes
8. Non-graduating Programmes 7
9. Duration of Study 8
10. Extension of Study 8
11. Credit Exemption 9
i
No. Content Page
PART 3 – ADMISSION REQUIREMENTS
12. Academic Qualification for Doctoral (PhD) Degree 9

Programmes
13. Academic Qualification for Master’s Degree Programmes 10
14. Language Requirement 10
15. Conversion of Provisional Admission to Full Admission 13
16. Validity of Offer of Admission 13
17. Transfer Students from other Universities/Institutions 14
18. Deferment of Admission 14
19. Restriction on Admission 14
PART 4 – REGISTRATION
20. General Requirements 14
21. Registration of New Students 16
22. Registration of Continuing Students 16
23. Late Registration 16
24. Course Registration 17
25. Residential Requirements 17
ii
No. Content Page
PART 5 – ADDING/DROPPING OF COURSES,

TRANSFER BETWEEN PROGRAMMES AND/OR FIELDS
OF STUDY, CONVERSION OF PROGRAMME,
DEFERMENT OF SEMESTER AND WITHDRAWAL OF
CANDIDATURE
26. Adding/Dropping of Courses 18
27. Transfer between Programmes and/or Fields of Study 19
28. Conversion from Master’s to PhD Degree Programme 19
29. Reversal from PhD to Master’s Degree Programme 21
30. Deferment of Semester 21
31. Withdrawal of Candidature 22
PART 6 – FEES
32. Payment of Fees 22
33. Refund of Fees 22
PART 7 – SUPERVISION
34. Appointment of Study Advisor 23
35. Appointment of Supervisory Committee 23
36. Criteria for Chairman of Supervisory Committee 24
37. Criteria for Members of Supervisory Committee 26
38. Restriction on Appointment 27
iii
No. Content Page
39. Nomination and Appointment of Supervisory Committee 27

Members from other Institutions
40. Reconstitution of Supervisory Committee 27
41. Responsibilities of the Supervisory Committee 28
42. Supervisor-to-Student Ratio 28
PART 8 – COURSE EVALUATION
43. Grading System 29
44. Replacement of Grade 30
45. Re-sit of Semester’s Course Examination 30
46. Repeat of Final (Last) Semester 31
47. Review of Course Grade 31
48 Research Progress Report 31
PART 9 – EXAMINATION PROCESS
49. Course Examination 31
50. Comprehensive Examination at Doctoral Level 32
51. Final Examination for Programmes with Thesis 33
52. Thesis Submission Following Viva voce 38
53. Final Thesis Submission 39
iv
No. Content Page
PART 10 – STUDY STATUS
54. Study Status Categories 40
55. Review against Termination of Candidature 41
56. Consequence of Termination of Candidature 42
PART 11 – GRADUATION
57. Graduation Requirements 42
58. Award of Degree 44
PART 12 – SCHOLARLY INTEGRITY
59. Prohibition 44
60. Penalty 46
v
vi
PREFACE
The conduct and management of graduate studies at Universiti Putra Malaysia

(UPM) are founded on the Universiti Putra Malaysia (Graduate Studies) Rules
2003. The UPM (Graduate Studies) Rules 2003 stipulate the rules and
regulations for graduate study at UPM from beginning to completion; covering
processes involved in admission, registration (including extension of study and
deferment), appointment of supervisory committee, course and thesis
examination, and graduation.
These rules and regulations are assembled by the School of Graduate Studies,
in its role as the secretariat to the University’s Graduate Studies committee, in
a Rule Book. This Rule Book is the culmination of all rules pertaining to
graduate studies as endorsed by the University Senate since 2003. The
contents of the Rule Book are largely based on the original rules approved by
the Board of Directors of UPM in 2003. However, over time, these rules have
evolved, and new and improved rules have been endorsed by the UPM Senate,
the highest authority on academic matters at the university. Hence, relevant
minutes of the Senate meeting are cited where necessary as points of
reference.
This new edition of the Rule Book is a revised version of Rules 2003 (Revision
2012-2013). It reflects the transformations that UPM’s graduate programmes
have undergone, and documents the revisions made by the university to its
rules in the form of Rules 2003 (Revision 2014-2015). The publication of this
new version is necessary to ensure that all graduate students and staff of UPM
are up-to-date with the most current rules concerning graduate studies.
SCHOOL OF GRADUATE STUDIES

JUNE 2016
vii
UNIVERSITI PUTRA MALAYSIA (GRADUATE STUDIES) RULES 2003

(REVISION 2014-2015)
Part 1 – Preliminary
1. Citation and Commencement
These rules may be cited as Universiti Putra Malaysia (Graduate Studies)

Rules 2003 (Revision 2014-2015).
2. Definitions and Interpretations
(i) In these Rules, unless the context otherwise requires:
A “Dual Degree/Cotutelle” programme means a programme of

study that is jointly delivered and quality-assured by UPM and its
partner university leading to the conferment of two degree
certificates, awarded by each institution to a student who has met
the requirements for graduation;
“CGPA” means Cumulative Grade Point Average;
“CIEP” means Certified Intensive English Programme run by ELS

Language Center;
“Dean” means Dean of the School of Graduate Studies or Dean of

the Graduate School of Management;
“Examiners” means internal and external thesis examiners

appointed by the University Graduate Studies Committee or the
Management Committee of the Graduate School of Management
under Rule 55;
“Faculty” means a faculty established by the University;
“Graduate programme” means a Master’s or doctoral (PhD) degree

programme;
“Graduate Studies Committee” means the committee that oversees

all matters pertaining to graduate studies and reports directly to
Senate;
UPM (Graduate Studies) Rules 2003 (Revision 2015-2016) 1/46

“IELTS” means International English Language Testing System;
“Institute” means a research institute established by the University;
“Institution” means an institution of higher learning or research

institution;
“International applicant” means any applicant who is not a

Malaysian citizen;
“Jointly awarded degree programme” means a programme of study

that is jointly delivered and quality-assured by UPM and its partner
university which leads to the conferment of a degree awarded
jointly to a student who has met the minimum requirements for
graduation;
“Local applicant” means any applicant who is a Malaysian citizen;
“Non-graduating programme” means a non-degree graduate

programme where an exchange student from another university
undertakes courses or research work not leading to an award of a
degree, or where an applicant with a conditional offer of admission
due to not meeting the English competency requirement
undertakes his TOEFL or IELTS examination in Malaysia;
“PhD degree” or “PhD (Industry)” or “Doctoral degree” means a

Doctor of Philosophy degree”
“Part-time Mode” means a graduate study programme offered to

local students who have full-time employment in either the public
or the private sector, with a duration of study from 4-8 semesters
for Master’s students and from 8-12 semesters for PhD students;
“Reinstatement” means reactivation of candidature;
“Semester” or “Trimester” means an academic session depending

on the academic programme;
“Senate” means the highest academic body of the University and is

responsible for the general direction of instructions, research and
examination, and the conferral of degrees, diplomas, certificates
and other academic distinctions;

“School” means the School of Graduate Studies;
“Split programme” means a graduate programme where a part of

the research or coursework is conducted at a collaborating
university under a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU);
“Supervisory Committee” means the committee appointed in

accordance with the provisions of Part 7 with the responsibilities to
supervise a student pursuing a degree with thesis;
“Thesis Examination Committee” means a committee appointed to

undertake the examination of a thesis pursuant to Rule 51;
“TOEFL” means Test of English as a Foreign Language (excluding

TOEFL ITP);
“University” means Universiti Putra Malaysia.
(ii) In these Rules, unless the context otherwise requires:
(a) words denoting the masculine gender shall include the

feminine and neuter genders and vice versa; and
(b) words denoting the singular number only shall include plural
and vice versa.
Part 2 – Programmes of Study
3. Types of Degree Programmes
Graduate degree programmes offered by the University are categorised as

follows:
(i) Degree with Thesis (Research); and
(ii) Degree without Thesis (Coursework).
Note: Degrees with thesis are by default without coursework, subject to

any other requirement as specified by the Faculty/Institute. The
supervisor may ask students to do coursework and students may request
to do coursework subject to availability of the courses.
(Senate 569.05)

4. PhD and Master’s Degree by Research
A. PhD Degree
A student pursuing a PhD degree shall:
(i) submit a thesis for examination at the end of the study (Rule 51
explains the examination process);
(ii) comply with any other specific requirement of the relevant

graduate programme as specified by the Faculty/Institute; and
(Senate 566.02)
(iii) pass the Comprehensive Examination which comprises two parts:

written and oral examinations (Rule 50).
B. Master’s Degree
A student pursuing a Master’s degree by research shall:
(i) submit a thesis for examination (Rule 51);
(ii) comply with any other specific requirement of the relevant graduate
programme, as specified by the Faculty/Institute.
(Senate 566.02)
5. Master’s Degree by Coursework
A student pursuing a Master’s degree by coursework, including those in

the part-time mode, shall fulfil the minimum credits of coursework as
stipulated by each programme inclusive of one of the following:
(i) a project report or case study equivalent to 4–6 credits;
(ii) a Comprehensive Examination (CE) which should adhere to the

following:
(a) it shall be conducted at the end of the final semester;
(b) two opportunities are given to pass the examination;

(c) the second examination (if necessary) must be taken within
sixty (60) days of the first examination. If the second
examination date falls in the following semester, the student
must register for the semester but need not register any other
course; and
(Senate 490.08 and Senate 573.05)
(d) failure at the second attempt shall result in termination of the

student’s candidature.
(iii) internship or industrial training (if specified by the programme).
The minimum CGPA for graduation is 3.000 from a maximum of 4.000.
6. Master’s Degree in the Medical Fields
A student pursuing a Master’s degree in the medical fields such as Master

of Pathology shall fulfil a minimum of four (4) years of study and other
requirements as specified by each programme.
7. Split/Jointly Awarded and Dual/Cotutelle Degree Programmes
A. Split/Jointly Awarded Degree Programmes
(i) A student who is registered under a split/jointly awarded

(Master’s or PhD) degree programme shall carry out part of his
research and/or enrol in some courses at the collaborating
universities or research institutions, or as specified by the
programme.
(ii) A student who is registered under a split/jointly awarded

(Master’s or PhD) programme in a single discipline shall also
have to abide by additional rules agreed under the programme
which may supersede some of the regulations stated in the
UPM Rules (Graduate Studies).
(iii) Upon graduation, a student with a jointly awarded degree shall

receive one degree certificate with the logos of both
institutions awarding the degree on the certificate.
B. Dual/Cotutelle Degree Programmes
(i) A student who is registered under a dual/Cotutelle (Master’s or

PhD) degree programme shall carry out part of his research

and/or enrol in some courses at the collaborating universities
or research institutions, or as specified by the programme.
(ii) A student who is registered under a dual/Cotutelle (Master’s or

PhD) programme in a single discipline shall also have to abide
by additional rules agreed under the programme which may
supersede some of the regulations stated in the UPM Rules
(Graduate Studies) 2003.
(iii) A student who is registered under this programme shall submit

a progress report to supervisors at both institutions every six
months.
(iv) Supervisory visits by each party must be done at least once

within the duration of the study.
(v) The student is considered a full-time student of the

programme, and shall register at both universities. Fees are
charged according to the rate at the university where the
student completes the registration process.
(vi) Minimum duration of study for the dual/Cotutelle PhD degree

is three (3) years, and two (2) years for the dual/Cotutelle
Master’s degree.
(vii) The student must register for a minimum of one (1) year for
the PhD programme and one (1) semester for the Master’s
programme at each university.
(viii) Each institution shall appoint a supervisor to form a

supervisory committee. The appointment must comply with
existing rules and regulations for graduate study at UPM and
the partner institution.
(ix) Only one viva voce shall be held at one of the institutions,
unless otherwise specified by the Memorandum of Agreement
between the two institutions.
(x) The thesis examination committee shall be appointed with

agreement from both institutions.
(xi) The costs for supervisory visits and thesis examination are
subject to the requirements agreed upon by both parties.

(Senate 566.03)
8. Non-graduating Programmes
(i) The non-graduating programme is not a degree programme.

Nonetheless, all students intending to join the programme must
register with the School.
(ii) Those eligible to enrol on the programme are as follows:
(a) A student who is enrolled at another university/institution for

graduate studies may either pursue specific graduate courses
or conduct part of his research work at the University. A bench
fee and other charges which are payable by the student shall
be as determined by the relevant Faculty/Institute/School.
(b) A student who is enrolled at a member or associate member of

the Southeast Asia Consortium of Graduate Schools (as listed
below) may cross-enrol with the University at his own expense.
No tuition fee shall be charged by the University if such a
student is already paying fees at his home university.
However, the student is required to pay the following to the
University, namely library fee, medical fee, health insurance,
and services fee.
Member Universities:
 Institut Pertanian Bogor, Indonesia;

 Kasetsart University, Thailand;
 Universitas Gadjah Mada, Indonesia;
 University of the Philippines Los Baños, the Philippines; and
 Universiti Putra Malaysia, Malaysia.
Associate Member Universities:
 Tokyo University of Agriculture, Japan;

 University of British Columbia, Canada;
 University of Göttingen, Germany; and
 University of Queensland, Australia.
(c) An applicant who has been accepted for provisional admission

but could not fulfil the English competency requirement as
stated in Rule 14 (viii) may register as a non-graduating
student for not more than one (1) semester. While enrolled, he

must sit for the examination at his own expense and pass his
TOEFL/IELTS/CIEP examination with a minimum score as
specified in Rule 14 (vii). A University fee will be charged for
the semester he is enrolled as a non-graduating student.
(Senate 552.13)
9. Duration of Study
(i) Doctoral Degree Programmes
The minimum and maximum durations of study are two (2) years
and five (5) years respectively. For part-time mode, the minimum
and maximum durations of study are four (4) years and six (6)
years respectively.
(Senate 573.05)
(ii) Master’s Degree Programmes
The minimum and maximum durations of study are one (1) year
and three (3) years respectively, except for programmes which
specifically take longer to complete such as Master’s in clinical
studies. For part-time mode, the minimum and maximum durations
of study are two (2) years and four (4) years respectively.
(Senate 573.05)
10. Extension of Study
(i) A student who requires more than the stipulated maximum period
to complete his study may apply for an extension to the Dean upon
recommendation from his Supervisory Committee. Applications are
allowed twice for a total of not more than three semesters. The
University reserves its right to approve a further extension or reject
the application.
(Senate 455.12)
(ii) Failure to complete the study within the given time shall result in
termination of candidature.

11. Credit Exemption
(i) A student may apply for credit exemption of graduate level courses
taken at another university/institution recognised by the University
for his current graduate programme at the University provided:
(a) the courses are relevant to his programme of study;
(b) the credits to be exempted are for courses equivalent to

courses offered at the University and shall be at least a grade
B or 65%;
(c) for programmes with coursework, the total number of credits

that may be exempted shall be not more than 30% of the total
credit requirement;
(Senate 566.02)
(d) the courses have been undertaken not more than five years
before the date of his registration at the University;
(e) the exemption of credits shall be approved by the

Faculty/Institute/School;
(f) the application for exemption is made in the first semester.
(ii) A student may also apply for exemption of credits based on

research work experience. The Faculty/Institute/School where he
has been placed shall conduct an evaluation to determine whether
he can be given such an exemption. Exemption of credits shall
require the approval of the Dean.
(Senate 493.08)
Part 3 – Admission Requirements
12. Academic Qualification for Doctoral (PhD) Degree Programmes
(i) The applicant should possess:
(a) a Master’s degree by coursework in a relevant field with a

minimum grade average of B, or
(b) a Master’s degree by research in a relevant field.

(Senate 605.25)
(ii) Admission into the programme is subject to any other requirement

specified by the Faculty/Institute.
(Senate 566.02)
(iii) An applicant from a local public university who is in the final

semester of his undergraduate study programme may be
considered for provisional admission provided his current CGPA or
its equivalent satisfies the graduate programme admission
requirements.
(iv) Dual/Cotutelle PhD degree applicants must fulfil the admission

requirements as stipulated by the MoA between UPM and its
partner institution. Selection of candidates for the programme is
subject to approval by both institutions and is based on quality of
applicant and supervisory availability.
(Senate 566.03)
13. Academic Qualification for Master’s Degree Programmes
(i) The applicant shall possess a Bachelor’s degree (with honours) in a

relevant field with a minimum CGPA of 3.000, or
(ii) The applicant without sufficient academic qualification can be

admitted into the programme subject to any other requirement
specified by the Faculty/Institute.
(Senate 566.02)
(iii) An applicant from a local public university who is in the final

semester of his undergraduate study programme may be
considered for provisional admission provided his current CGPA or
equivalent qualification fulfils the graduate programme admission
requirements.
14. Language Requirement
(i) A local applicant must have obtained at least a credit in English at

the “Sijil Pelajaran Malaysia” level or equivalent, or have passed
English courses at the Diploma or Bachelor level.

(ii) For direct admission, an international applicant must have obtained
a minimum score of 550 for the TOEFL Paper-based Test or Band
6.0 for IELTS (Academic Version), or 79–80 for TOEFL Internet-
based Test or 213 for the TOEFL Computer-based Test, or Level
109 for CIEP, or their equivalent. TOEFL ITP is not acceptable. The
validity period should not be more than five years.
(Senate 505.5, Senate 532 and Senate 552.13)
(iii) Notwithstanding Rule 14 (ii), an international applicant applying for

direct admission into Malay Language Studies, Arabic or Chinese
Literature programme or any other programme that allows a thesis
to be written in the language of instruction, must have obtained a
minimum score of 400 for the TOEFL Paper-based Test or its
equivalent or 4.0 for IELTS (Academic Version).
(Senate 519.08, Senate 592.22 and Senate 601.06)
(iv) An international applicant who obtains a score of 500-549 for the

TOEFL Paper-based Test or Band 5.5 for IELTS (Academic Version),
or Level 107 for CIEP or their equivalent, may be accepted for
admission on a provisional basis for any degree programme.
(Senate 521.08, Senate 505.01, Senate 552.13 and Senate 605.11)
(v) An international applicant who has obtained a degree from any

public/private institute of higher learning in Malaysia which is
recognized by MQA, and the programme is fully conducted in
English, shall not be subject to the English Language proficiency
requirement.
(Senate 601.06)
(vi) An international applicant for a Master’s Degree programme from a

non-native English speaking country who has undergone his
Bachelor’s degree in the English language or at an institution of
higher learning in a native English speaking country shall be
exempted from the requirement stated in Rule 14 (ii), but subject
to any other requirement as specified by the advisor/supervisor/
programme coordinator.

(vii) An international applicant for the PhD degree programme from
non-English speaking countries who has undergone Bachelor’s and
Master’s degree in English Language, or Bachelor’s or Master’s
degree at an Institute of higher learning in native English speaking
countries shall be exempted from the requirement stated in Rule 14
(ii) subject to any other requirement as specified by advisor/
supervisor/programme coordinator.
(viii) An international applicant who is given a provisional admission

based on his academic standing without proof of his English
language proficiency at the time of application must provide
evidence of having met at least the minimum score of 500-549 for
the TOEFL Paper-based Test or its equivalent, or Band 5.5 for
IELTS (Academic Version) at the time of registration.
(Senate 521.08)
(ix) An applicant from any of the following native English speaking

countries and Commonwealth countries, shall be exempted from
the requirement stated in Rule 14 (ii), (iii) and (iv), but subject to
any other requirement as specified by the advisor/supervisor/
programme coordinator:
 Australia  Pakistan
 Bangladesh  Philippine
 Canada  Puerto Rico
 Fiji  Sierra Leone
 Gambia  Singapore
 Ghana  Swaziland
 India  Sudan
 Ireland  South Africa
 Liberia  Trinidad & Tobago
 Malawi  Tanzania
 Maldives  Uganda
 Mauritius  United States of America
 New Zealand  United Kingdom
 Nigeria
(Senate 601.06)

15. Conversion of Provisional Admission to Full Admission
(i) An applicant who has been given a provisional offer of admission

under Rule 12 (iii) or Rule 13 (iii), shall be granted full admission
only after he has submitted proof of graduation which satisfies the
admission requirements of the specific programme on or before the
registration date.
(ii) An international applicant who has been given a provisional offer of

admission under Rule 14 (vii) shall be granted full admission only
after he has passed the University’s English proficiency courses
within the stipulated time. The University’s English proficiency
courses are to be taken concurrently with other graduate courses.
He is given two attempts to pass the courses, failing which his
candidacy shall be suspended [Rule 54 (v) b]. His candidacy shall
be reinstated only if he passes the TEP courses at the third
attempt, otherwise his candidacy shall be terminated.
(iii) An international applicant who has been given a provisional offer of

admission under Rule 14 (viii) shall be granted full admission if he
complies with Rule 14 (ii) at the time of registration. If at the time
of registration his TOEFL Paper-based Test score is 500-549 or
Band 5.5 for IELTS (Academic version), or Level 107 for CIEP or
their equivalent, Rule 15 (ii) shall apply.
(Senate 552.13)
(vi) An applicant who has been given a provisional offer for admission
into a Master’s degree programme may apply directly into the PhD
degree programme provided his final CGPA is 3.670 or higher, or
equivalent to a First Class Honours degree.
(Senate 605.25)
(v) The provisional offer of admission may be withdrawn if the

applicant fails to submit the required proof by the stipulated date.
16. Validity of Offer of Admission
The offer of admission is valid for one (1) academic year only unless with
written permission from the Dean.

17. Transfer Students from other Universities/Institutions
A student who is currently enrolled in a graduate programme in another

university or institution may apply for transfer to an equivalent graduate
programme at the University provided his candidacy is in Good Standing
[Rule 54 (i)] and he meets the admission requirements of the programme.
A letter of consent from his current university/institution must be
submitted together with the application.
18. Deferment of Admission
(i) A candidate may apply in writing to the Dean to defer his

admission. Where an application for a deferment of admission is
approved, the candidate shall be notified of the new date of
admission and any change in the admission regulations as
endorsed by the University after the date of deferment of
admission.
(ii) A candidate is not permitted to defer admission for more than two
(2) semesters or one (1) year, unless with written permission from
the Dean.
(iii) The offer of admission is automatically withdrawn if the candidate

fails to apply for a deferment of admission within the stipulated
time.
19. Restriction on Admission
A student whose candidacy has been terminated by the University for any
reason [Rule 54(iii)] other than failure to register for more than two (2)
semesters or one (1) year is not eligible for readmission into the same
level of graduate programme at the University.
Part 4 – Registration
20. General Requirements
(i) The minimum number of credits that may be registered per

semester is six (6) credits. For part-time mode, the minimum
number of credits is four (4) credits. The maximum number of

credits a student can register per semester is fifteen (15) credits.
Registration of any additional credits requires the Dean’s approval.
(Senate 573.05)
(ii) A final semester student who is in a non-thesis degree programme

is permitted to register less than six (6) credits.
(Senate 490.08)
(iii) A final semester student who is in a non-thesis degree programme
and has completed all coursework as required by the programme,
except for his Comprehensive Examination (CE), need not register
any course if the CE has to be taken in the following semester.
(iv) A student in a programme with thesis must register for the

following courses:
(a) Doctoral/Master’s Research (SPS6999/SPS5999) every

semester until his thesis has been submitted for examination;
and
(b) PhD/Master’s Research Proposal Seminar (SPS6903/SPS5903)

which shall be graded M/TM (Satisfactory/Unsatisfactory).
 A student must register for the course not later than the
second semester of his study. For the part-time mode, not
later than in the third semester, failing which his
candidature will be terminated.
(Senate 573.05)
 A student who fails for the first time shall be given

probation status and must repeat and pass the course in
the subsequent semester, failing which his candidature
will be terminated.
 A student who changes field of study or converts from

Master’s to PhD must register again for the course not
later than the second semester after the change or
conversion.
(Senate 569.05)

(v) A local student in a programme with thesis who is in full-time
employment in the public or private sector may register for the
part-time mode, subject to the Dean’s approval.
(Senate 573.05)
21. Registration of New Students
(i) A new student must register within two (2) weeks before the
commencement of the semester.
(ii) Failure to register within the stipulated time shall result in the offer
of admission being automatically withdrawn, unless Rule 18 is
applicable.
22. Registration of Continuing Students
A continuing student must register within three (3) weeks before the
commencement of the semester.
23. Late Registration
(i) New Students
(a) Late registration for those in non-thesis degree programmes is

permitted up to two (2) weeks after the commencement of a
semester subject to the Dean’s approval.
(b) For those approved for admission in a programme with thesis,

late registration is permitted up to the seventh week of a
semester subject to the Dean’s approval.
(Senate 531.09)
(ii) Continuing Students
(a) Late registration is permitted up to two (2) weeks after the

commencement of a semester upon payment of a late
registration fee of RM100. The candidature of a student who
does not register by the beginning of the third week of the
semester shall be automatically dropped.
(Senate 529.07)

(b) A student may appeal for reinstatement within two (2)
semesters after his candidature has been dropped. If the
appeal is successful, the student is required to pay a penalty
amounting to RM600 per reinstatement. If the ‘dropped’ status
is for not more than two consecutive semesters, the student
will be considered as having deferred the said semester(s). An
appeal made after the stipulated period shall not be
considered. However, the student may apply for fresh
admission to the University.
(Senate 529.07)
24. Course Registration
While the University offers courses at the 1000 to 6000 series levels, only
the following apply for course registration at the graduate level:
(i) only 4000 and 5000 series courses shall be credited as a

graduation requirement for all Master’s degree programmes, whilst
only 5000 and 6000 series courses shall be credited for the PhD
degree programme;
(Senate 463.08)
(ii) a course that is registered as “Audit” shall not be included in the

computation of the Cumulative Grade Point Average (CGPA). The
course shall be graded as either “M” (i.e. Satisfactory) or “TM” (i.e.
Unsatisfactory); and
(iii) all international students (except for students from Brunei and
Indonesia) must register and pass the Malay Language course
(BBM1401 or its equivalent) as Audit during the first semester.
25. Residential Requirements
(i) General Requirements:
(a) A doctoral student must be physically present on campus for

a minimum of four (4) semesters or two (2) years.
(b) A Master’s student must be physically present on campus for

a minimum of two (2) semesters or one (1) year.
(c) This does not apply to PhD (Industry) students.
(Senate 569.05)

(ii) Split Programme:
(a) A Master’s student must be physically present on campus for

a minimum of one (1) semester.
(b) A doctoral student must be physically present on campus for

a minimum of two (2) semesters or one (1) year.
(c) Notwithstanding Rule 25 (i)(b), a doctoral student may spend

less than two (2) semesters or one (1) year residence at any
one of the collaborating universities with consent.
(iii) Jointly awarded PhD degree programme:
A student must be enrolled at each participating institution for a

minimum of two (2) semesters or one (1) year for the PhD
programme, and a minimum of one (1) semester for the Master's
programme.
(Senate 569.05)
Part 5 – Adding/Dropping of Courses, Transfer between Programmes

and/or Fields of Study, Conversion of Programme, Deferment of
Semester and Withdrawal of Candidature
26. Adding/Dropping of Courses
(i) A student may add (register) any course within the first two (2)
weeks of a semester. Addition of courses after the stipulated period
shall require the consent of the course coordinator/lecturer and
approval from the Dean.
(ii) A student may drop any course or request to change the course
status from compulsory/elective to audit or vice-versa within the
first seven (7) weeks of a semester.
(iii) A student is not permitted to drop any course after the seventh
week of a semester other than on medical grounds with
recommendation from the advisor/supervisor, and with approval
from the Dean.

(iv) A student who fails to drop any course he registers for but does not
participate in during the semester shall be given an “F” grade at
the end of the semester.
27. Transfer between Programmes and/or Fields of Study
(i) A student may apply for a transfer between programmes and/or

fields of study. Application may be submitted at any time during
the semester. If approved within the first seven (7) weeks of the
semester, the transfer shall take immediate effect. Otherwise, the
transfer shall take effect the following semester.
(Senate 532.10)
(ii) If a student whose application for transfer from a programme with

thesis to a programme without thesis (with credit fee) is successful,
he shall be required to pay credit fees for all courses including
those that have already been taken prior to the transfer.
(Senate 532.10)
(iii) A student may apply for exemption of course credits during the
transfer as provided for under Rule 11.
(iv) A transfer is allowed once only unless with endorsement of the

University Graduate Studies Committee or its equivalent.
(v) Application for transfer after two (2) semesters of study will not be
considered unless under special circumstances and with the
endorsement of the University Graduate Studies Committee or its
equivalent.
28. Conversion from Master’s to PhD Degree Programme
A student may apply for conversion from a Master’s Degree by Research

to a PhD degree programme. If the application is successful, the student
is required to comply with all requirements for a PhD degree including
Rules 24 (i) and 50.
An independent committee shall be appointed by the

Faculty/Institute/School to evaluate the application for conversion and this
committee shall make its recommendations to the Dean through the
Faculty/Institute/School for approval by the University Graduate Studies
Committee or its equivalent, and endorsement by the Senate.

The following rules apply.
(i) The student must:
(a) have completed at least two (2) semesters or one (1) year but
not more than four (4) semesters or two (2) years of the
Master’s degree programme;
(Senate 536.06)
(b) have completed the coursework requirements of the

Faculty/Institute and obtained a minimum CGPA of 3.670 (if
applicable).
(c) have published or show proof of acceptance of an article in a

refereed journal or its equivalent (e.g. book chapter) based on
research done during candidacy;
(Senate 536.06)
(d) submit an extended research proposal that meets the scope of

a PhD degree; and
(e) have passed the conversion examination.
(ii) The Chairman of the Supervisory Committee shall verify in writing

in the form of a report that the student:
(a) has the ability to integrate knowledge of research and/or

theories pertaining to issues that are fundamental to the field
of study;
(b) demonstrates critical, analytical and independent thinking

skills; and
(c) has a good understanding of relevant research design and

methodology.
(iii) The Faculty/Institute/School shall appoint an independent

committee, comprising a minimum of three members with the
Coordinator of Graduate Studies of the Faculty/Institute/School, or
his representative as the Chairman.

(iv) The independent committee shall:
(a) evaluate the extent to which the Master’s research has

progressed, and the proposal for the doctoral research via a
seminar presentation;
(b) advise the student of areas to be examined;
(c) conduct the conversion examination (which will consist of

written as well as oral examinations); and
(d) submit a comprehensive report to the School through the

Faculty/Institute highlighting the merits and achievements that
will support or justify the conversion.
(v) If the conversion is approved within the first seven (7) weeks of
the semester, it shall take effect immediately. Otherwise, the
conversion shall take effect the following semester.
(Senate 532.10)
29. Reversal from PhD to Master’s Degree Programme
(i) The Supervisory Committee of a doctoral student may recommend

a reversal when the student fails the Comprehensive Examination
(CE) (Rule 50) or if the Committee is satisfied that the student is
unable to cope with the level of study.
(ii) With justification, a doctoral student may choose to apply for a

transfer to a Master’s degree programme.
(iii) Reversal from a Doctoral to a Master’s degree programme must

obtain the endorsement of the University Graduate Studies
Committee or its equivalent.
30. Deferment of Semester
(i) A student may apply for deferment at any time during the
semester. However, any application made after the seventh week
will only be considered based on medical grounds or any other
valid reasons and supported with appropriate documents.
(ii) A student is not permitted to defer more than two (2) semesters
except on medical grounds or any other valid reasons and
supported with appropriate documents.

(iii) A student who is required to submit a thesis for re-examination will
not be permitted to defer his study except on medical grounds or
any other valid reasons and supported with appropriate documents.
(iv) The application must be submitted to the Dean through the

Faculty/Institute/School with the recommendation of the Advisor or
Chairman of the Supervisory Committee.
31. Withdrawal of Candidature
(i) A registered student may withdraw from his study at any time
during the semester and must apply in writing to the Dean.
(ii) A student who fails to register for two (2) consecutive semesters is
automatically withdrawn from candidature.
(Senate 529.07)
Part 6 – Fees
32. Payment of Fees
(i) All students are required to pay the following fees every semester:
(a) Tuition fee;
(b) Any other fee as stipulated from time to time by the University.
(ii) All fees shall be paid upon registration. The amount of fees is
subject to change from time to time by the University without prior
notice and shall be applicable to new students only.
(iii) Jointly awarded degree/dual degree students pay fees at the host
university as agreed in the MoA between the two institutions.
(Senate 566.03)
33. Refund of Fees
(i) Withdrawal of Candidature/Dropping of Courses with

Credit Fee
(a) A student who withdraws from study within the first two (2)
weeks of a semester with the Dean’s approval is entitled to a

refund of all fees paid by him to the University except for the
registration fee, alumni fee, health insurance and services fee.
Fees will not be refunded if he withdraws his candidature after
the second week of a semester.
(b) A student who has dropped a course with a credit fee after the
second week of a semester shall not be eligible for any refund.
(ii) Deferment of Semester
(a) A student who defers his semester within the first two (2)
weeks of the semester with the Dean’s approval may either
request for a refund of, or to carry forward, all fees (excluding
registration and services fees) paid by him to the University.
(b) Fees will not be refunded or carried forward if deferment is

made after the second week of the semester.
Part 7 – Supervision
34. Appointment of Study Advisor
(i) A student who is admitted into a programme with thesis shall be

assigned a study advisor by the Faculty/Institute/School prior to
the appointment of a Supervisory Committee as provided for under
Rule 35 (ii). The Advisor and the Chairman of the Supervisory
Committee may or may not be the same person.
(ii) A student who is admitted into a programme without thesis shall be

advised by a programme coordinator at the Faculty/Institute/
School.
(iii) A jointly awarded/dual degree student shall have an advisor

appointed at each institution.
(Senate 566.03)
35. Appointment of Supervisory Committee
(i) A student who is in a degree programme with thesis shall nominate

eligible persons (Rules 36-38) to be members of his Supervisory
Committee which should comprise a chairman and at least:

(a) two other members in the case of a PhD degree programme;
or
(b) one other member in the case of a Master’s degree

programme.
(c) A jointly awarded/dual degree student must have a minimum

of one (1) supervisor from each institution, subject to the
MoA between the two institutions.
(Senate 566.03)
(ii) At least one of the members of the Supervisory Committee,

excluding the Chairman, must be a permanent academic staff
member of the University to ensure continuity of supervision.
(iii) Members of the Supervisory Committee shall be appointed with

endorsement of the University Graduate Studies Committee or its
equivalent, or as specified in the MoA for jointly awarded/dual
degree students.
(iv) A student doing the PhD (Industry) programme shall have a

member of the supervisory committee from the industry.
(Senate 566.03)
(v) The nomination of the supervisory committee shall be made at the

end of the first semester.
(Senate 621)
36. Criteria for Chairman of Supervisory Committee
(i) The Chairman shall be appointed from amongst academic staff

members of the Faculty/Institute/School where the student is
placed. He should possess either a PhD or equivalent graduate
professional qualification and should have experience in graduate
supervision. An academic staff member without the above
qualifications may also be appointed as Chairman provided that he
is a Professor or an Associate Professor with a Master of Medicine
or Diplomate of Veterinary Medicine.
(Senate 499.09)

(ii) Subject to the Senate’s endorsement, an academic staff member
without a PhD degree or equivalent graduate professional
qualification but is an Associate Professor with experience in
graduate supervision may be appointed as Chairman of a
Supervisory Committee at the doctoral level.
(Senate 499.09)
(iii) Subject to the Senate’s endorsement, an academic staff member

without a PhD degree or equivalent graduate professional
qualification but with a Master of Medicine or Diplomate of
Veterinary Medicine degree and with experience in graduate
supervision may be appointed as Chairman of a Supervisory
Committee at the doctoral level.
(Senate 499.09)
(iv) A lecturer without a PhD qualification but with experience in

graduate supervision as a co-supervisor may be appointed as
Chairman of a Supervisory Committee at the Master’s level.
(Senate 499.09)
(v) An Adjunct Professor or Associate Professor with a PhD degree or

an equivalent professional qualification and with experience in
graduate supervision may also be appointed as Chairman of the
Supervisory Committee.
(Senate 504.16)
(vi) A Research Fellow who has experience in graduate supervision may

also be appointed as Chairman of a Supervisory Committee based
on the following criteria:
Level of
Criteria for Appointment
Supervision
Doctoral degree Must have been appointed as a Research
Fellow for at least three years
Master’s degree Must have been appointed as a
Research Fellow for at least two years
(Senate 518.06)

37. Criteria for Members of Supervisory Committee
In addition to the requirements prescribed in Rule 35 (ii), a member of a

Supervisory Committee at the doctoral level may also be one of the
following persons:
(i) An academic staff member who is a PhD degree holder or who has
an equivalent graduate professional qualification;
(ii) A Research Fellow who is appointed for a minimum period of one

(1) year;
(iii) A senior research officer with a PhD degree from an institution;
(iv) An individual with a PhD degree or relevant graduate professional

qualification recognised by the University.
38. Restriction on Appointment
(i) An academic staff member without a PhD degree or equivalent

professional qualification is not eligible for appointment as a
member of a doctoral supervisory committee, unless he is a
Professor or Associate Professor of the University.
(ii) An academic staff member who is currently enrolled as a full-time

or a part-time Master’s or doctoral student is not eligible to be
appointed as a member of a supervisory committee.
(iii) A supervisory committee headed by a Research Fellow must have

at least one academic staff member on the committee.
(Senate 518.06)
(iv) Members of a supervisory committee shall not in any manner be

personally related to each other or to the student under their
supervision. A personal relationships is defined as:
(a) a family relationship; or

(b) a business/commercial/financial relationship; or
(c) any other personal relationships which may give rise to conflict
of interest in the workplace.
(Senate 604.15)

39. Nomination and Appointment of Supervisory Committee
Members from other Institutions
(i) A qualified person from a local public university or institution which

has signed a Memorandum of Understanding with the University for
graduate education, may be nominated for appointment as a
member of a supervisory committee.
(ii) A qualified person who is not from any university or institution as

prescribed under Rule 39 (i) may be nominated for appointment as
a member of a supervisory committee and, if approved, his
appointment shall not be taken into account for the purpose of
fulfilling the minimum number required to constitute a Supervisory
Committee [Rule 35 (i)].
40. Reconstitution of Supervisory Committee
(i) A supervisory committee may be reconstituted under the following

circumstances:
(a) upon the withdrawal, resignation, incapacitation or

disqualification of any member of the supervisory committee;
(b) where the Faculty/Institute/School deems it necessary that a

member of the supervisory committee should be replaced;
(c) where the Faculty/Institute/School deems it necessary that

additional members are required.
(ii) Re-nomination of the Chairman or any member of the supervisory

committee must be made not later than the third semester
(Master’s degree programmes) or the fifth semester (PhD degree
programmes) except where the Chairman/member of the
Supervisory Committee:
(a) has retired or is about to retire;
(b) is on a long leave of absence (for medical or any other

reasons);
(c) has resigned from the University;
(d) has become disqualified;

(e) has other reasons to withdraw from the supervisory committee
as deemed acceptable by the University Graduate Studies
Committee or its equivalent; or,
(f) upon request by the faculty in the event of a conflict.
(Senate 621)
(iii) Where the original Chairman is replaced, the student is permitted

to continue his existing study under the supervision of the new
Chairman.
(Senate 497.08)
(iv) If the reconstitution is approved within the first seven (7) weeks of
the semester, it shall take effect immediately. Otherwise, the
reconstitution shall take effect the following semester.
41. Responsibilities of the Supervisory Committee
(i) The supervisory committee shall be responsible for guiding the

student towards the successful completion of his degree
programme. The supervisory committee shall adhere to the
supervision guidelines issued by the School.
(ii) If it is necessary for the student to conduct his research in another

country, the supervisory committee must ensure that the activity is
supervised.
42. Supervisor-to-Student Ratio
(i) The number of students who may be supervised by the Chairman of

a supervisory committee shall be determined by the
Faculty/Institute/School based on a number of factors including the
Chairman’s teaching load or duties at undergraduate and graduate
levels, the capacity of his research laboratory, availability of research
grants, and adequacy of research facilities in the Faculty or Institute.
Each Faculty/Institute/School shall determine its supervisor-to-
student ratio after taking into account all relevant factors.
(ii) The recommended supervisor-to-student ratio (with the supervisor

acting as the Chairman of the supervisory committee) is as follows:
Professor 1:10

Associate Professor 1:7
Lecturer 1:5
Part 8 – Course Evaluation
43. Grading System
All courses taught at the University including projects undertaken by

students shall be evaluated and given one of the following grades:
Grade Marks Quality Point

A 80-100 4.000
A- 75-79 3.750
B+ 70-74 3.500
B 65-69 3.000
B- 60-64 2.750
C+ 55-59 2.500
C 50-54 2.000
C- 47-49 1.750
D+ 44-46 1.500
D 40-43 1.000
F 0-39 0.000
M - ‘Memuaskan’ (Satisfactory)
TM - ‘Tidak Memuaskan’ (Unsatisfactory)
TL - ‘Tidak Lengkap’ (Incomplete)
Course status
S - ‘Sambung’ (Continue)
AU - Audit
U - ‘Ulang’ (Repeat)
N - Grade Not Submitted
P - Pass (for Master’s in clinical studies)
M/TM Research work during the semester and research proposal
seminar is graded either as satisfactory (M) or unsatisfactory
(TM). No quality points are given to the research work and thus
it is not computed in the cumulative or semester grade point
average.
TL All incomplete coursework or assignments shall be given a ‘TL’

grade. This grade is valid only until the end of the second week

of the following semester. Failure to change a ‘TL’ grade by the
specified date shall result in an ‘F’ grade.
S An ‘S’ grade will be assigned to a project/case study for students

pursuing a degree without thesis. The project/case study is
usually conducted over two (2) semesters. The ‘S’ grade will be
replaced with a final grade upon completion of the project/case
study at the end of the following semester.
AU An audit course is given an ‘M’ or ‘TM’ grade (if below the ‘B’
grade). The student must attend lectures and/or practicals, and
sit for all examinations prescribed by the course. No credit will be
taken into account when computing the CGPA.
N Where an actual grade is not submitted by the deadline, the

course grade shall appear as an ‘N’. Failure to submit a grade by
the second week of the following semester shall result in an ‘F’ or
‘TM’ where appropriate.
44. Replacement of Grade
(i) Replacement of grade is only permitted for courses (including

project or case study) for which the student is given an ‘F’ grade.
The new grade will replace the ‘F’ grade in the computation of his
CGPA. However, the original ‘F’ grade shall be retained in his
transcript for the particular semester (Rule 43). A student is
permitted to repeat a failed course once only.
(ii) Notwithstanding Rule 44 (i), a student is permitted to repeat any

course once only but the new grade shall not replace the previous
grade in the computation of his CGPA. The original grade shall still
be retained in his transcript.
45. Re-sit of Semester’s Course Examination
A student whose study status is ‘Probation’ or ‘Terminated’ is permitted to

sit for a special examination for any course with a grade lower than B
obtained in the current semester with the consent of his Advisor or the
Chairman of his supervisory committee. The highest overall grade he can
obtain for the course after taking into consideration the mark obtained for
the special examination is B. The better grade shall be used in the re-
computation of the CGPA.
(Senate 504.14)

46. Repeat of Final (Last) Semester
A final/last semester student in a programme without thesis whose status

is ‘Terminated’ is permitted to repeat the semester once only upon appeal.
The credits and grades obtained in the repeat semester shall be used in
the computation of his CGPA.
(Senate 504.14)
47. Review of Course Grade
A student who is not satisfied with his official examination results may file
for a review of grade by submitting an application to the School not later
than two (2) weeks after the announcement of results. A processing fee
of RM50.00 shall be charged per review. Any grade change is subject to
the respective Faculty’s approval. The Faculty’s decision after the grade
review is final.
(Senate 621)
48. Research Progress Report
(i) A student pursuing a degree with thesis shall submit a research

progress report every semester before the end of the University’s
examination week.
(ii) The Chairman of a supervisory committee shall verify the report and
give either an ‘M’ or ‘TM’ grade based on the level of progress made
by the student during the semester.
(iii) Submission must be made online. Failure to do so shall result in a

‘TM’ grade.
Part 9 – Examination Process
49. Course Examination
(i) A student who has registered for courses shall be evaluated as

specified in the course syllabus.
(ii) A student who fails to attend the examination without a valid reason
shall be given a zero score for that examination.
(iii) A replacement examination shall be conducted within two (2) weeks
of the official examination date if the student has a valid reason for

non-attendance, except if he is on medical leave or other
emergencies that require the examination to be conducted after the
two-week period.
(iv) A student who is found to have contravened any examination
regulations set by the University and/or course coordinator shall be
subject to the following actions:
(a) given a warning; or
(b) asked to leave the examination hall and given a zero score for
the examination; and/or
(c) charged with disciplinary action for cheating.
(v) If a disciplinary action is taken against the student, regardless of the

type of penalty given by the Disciplinary Authority, the penalty under
Rule 49 (iv)(b) shall prevail.
50. Comprehensive Examination at Doctoral Level
A student pursuing a doctoral degree programme is required to take the

Comprehensive Examination (CE) which aims to evaluate the student’s
knowledge in the area of study, his ability to integrate knowledge of
research and/theories pertaining to issues that are fundamental to the
field of study and his understanding of relevant research design and
methodology. For this purpose the following regulations shall apply:
(i) A student registered under the programme, subject to any other

specific requirement of the Faculty/Institute, shall be permitted to sit
for the CE only after completion of all coursework required by the
programme and within five (5) semesters or two and a half (2½)
years of cumulative enrolment, failing which his PhD candidature will
be terminated. For a student in a part-time mode graduate study
programme, the CE must be completed not later than in the seventh
semester.
(ii) The CE shall consist of both written and oral examinations and the
student is required to pass both examinations with a minimum grade
equivalent to a B grade.
(iii) The student is not permitted to take the oral examination until he
has passed the written examination. The oral examination should be
conducted not later than 30 days after the written examination.

(iv) The examinations are to be conducted by his supervisory committee,
or a special committee appointed by the Faculty/Institute/School.
(v) If a student is unable to take the CE within the stipulated time due
to medical reasons or other emergencies, he is required to apply for
an extension with relevant supporting documents for approval by
the Dean.
(vi) A student is given two opportunities to pass the examination. The

second examination must be taken within sixty (60) days after the
first examination. Failure at the second attempt shall result in the
termination of his candidacy unless he is recommended for reversal
of study from a PhD to a Master’s degree programme [Rule 29 (i)].
51. Final Examination for Programmes with Thesis
The final examination shall consist of an evaluation of the thesis and a

viva voce to determine the student's competency in the field of study. For
the jointly awarded/dual degree student, the requirements for thesis
submission are as stipulated in the MoA between the two institutions.
(Senate 566.03)
A. Appointment of Thesis Examination Committee
(i) Members of the Thesis Examination Committee shall be

appointed by the Dean upon endorsement of the University
Graduate Studies Committee or its equivalent at the
recommendation of the relevant Faculty/Institute. The
Committee shall comprise a chairman and three examiners for
PhD and two examiners for Master, of which at least one shall
be the external examiner.
(Senate 595.13)
(ii) The Chairman of the Thesis Examination Committee shall be

nominated from amongst academic members of the
Faculty/Institute/School where the student is placed. The main
roles of the chairman are to moderate the viva voce and
submit a report of the examination to the School.
(iii) The examiners shall be appointed from amongst academic

staff or researchers of appropriate seniority, and shall have the

expertise and an established reputation in the area of the
thesis topic. The examiners must have a PhD or equivalent
graduate professional qualification, unless with endorsement of
the Senate.
(iv) The internal examiner must be an academic staff member of

the University but he must not be a member of the supervisory
committee.
(v) The external examiner is an independent examiner who must

not be a member of the University. He also must not be a
member of the supervisory committee.
(vi) Members of the Thesis Examination Committee shall not in any

manner be personally related to each other, to the supervisory
committee or to the student who is being examined. A
personal relationships is defined as:
(a) a family relationship; or

(b) a business/commercial/financial relationship; or
(c) any other personal relationships which may give rise to
conflict of interest in the workplace.
(Senate 604.15)
(vii) The appointment of the thesis examination committee for the

jointly awarded/dual degree student is subject to any other
requirement as specified in the MoA between the two
institutions.
(Senate 566.03)
B. Thesis Submission
(i) Notice of Submission of Thesis
A student must give notice of intention to submit his thesis at

least three months in advance.
(ii) Thesis Submission for Examination
The student shall submit four soft-bound copies of the thesis

and a Text Similarity Search Report only after the appointment

of the Thesis Examination Committee has been endorsed by
the University Graduate Studies Committee or its equivalent.
(iii) For the jointly awarded/dual degree student, the requirements

for thesis submission are as stipulated in the MoA between the
two institutions.
(Senate 566.03)
C. Viva Voce
(i) The viva voce shall be conducted when all the examiners’
reports have been received.
(ii) The examination can only be conducted when the Chairman of

the Thesis Examination Committee and at least two examiners
for PhD and one examiner for Master are present. The
Chairman of the supervisory committee and/or any member of
the supervisory committee shall attend as observers.
(Senate 595.13)
(iii) A student is considered to have passed the viva voce if he has

successfully defended his thesis and has satisfied the
examiners of his competency in the field of study.
(iv) A student may be called for an oral re-examination within sixty

(60) days of the first viva voce to re-examine his competency
in the field of study even if his thesis has been accepted with
or without modification.
(v) A student who fails to attend the viva voce without any
reasonable cause shall be considered to have failed the
examination.
(vi) The jointly awarded/dual degree student shall attend the viva
voce at the host institution where the thesis was submitted,
subject to any other requirements stipulated in the MoA
between the two institutions.
(Senate 566.03)

D. Thesis Evaluation
(i) The thesis shall be examined based on the quality of the study
conducted and the thesis presented for evaluation, and
defence of the thesis during the viva voce, both of which the
student must pass. The acceptance of thesis may be
categorised as follows:
(a) Accepted with Distinction
A thesis is accepted with distinction when all or most of

the research findings have either been published or
accepted for publication in citation-indexed journals, and
requires minimal improvement in spelling, grammar and
syntax.
(b) Accepted with Minor Modifications
A thesis is accepted with minor modifications if it requires

any of the following: reformatting of chapters, revision of
literature, improvement in declaration of research
objectives or statements, insertion of missing references,
amendment of inaccurately cited references, and other
minor improvements including improvements in spelling,
grammar and syntax.
(c) Accepted with Major Modifications
A thesis is accepted with major modifications if it requires

any of the following but not additional experimental work
or data collection: extensive revision of the entire thesis
to improve quality such as major improvement in
description of methodology, statistical re-analysis of
research data, removal of research chapter(s), and re-
discussion of results, including improvements in spelling,
grammar and syntax.
The Thesis Examination Committee may recommend that

the student seek the assistance of an editing service if
errors in grammar and syntax are extensive.
(ii) The Thesis Examination Committee may also recommend the

following:

(a) Oral Re-examination (Re-viva voce)
A second and final oral re-examination (re-viva voce) to

be conducted within sixty (60) days after the date of the
first viva voce [Rule 51 (c) (v)].
(b) Re-submission of Thesis
The thesis is to be re-submitted if it does not meet the

scope of the degree for which it is intended, the
objectives of the research are not met and/or when there
are obvious flaws in the experimental design and/or
methodology, and therefore, requires additional
experimental work or data collection.
Re-submission of the corrected thesis and a Text
Similarity Search Report must be made within a period of
not more than two (2) semesters or one (1) year subject
to the following conditions:
(1) The student must continue to be a registered

student of the University.
(2) The student must comply with procedures as

determined from time to time by the University.
(3) Re-submission is permitted once only.
(4) Failure to submit within the specified time shall

result in termination of candidature.
(c) Re-submission of a PhD Thesis as a Master’s

Thesis
The Thesis Examination Committee may recommend a

doctoral thesis to be accepted for the award of a Master’s
degree if the thesis does not meet the scope of a
doctoral thesis but is adequate for a Master’s degree.
The following conditions must be fulfilled:
(1) All amendments recommended by the Thesis

Examination Committee must be made and the
thesis resubmitted to the School for examination as
a Master’s thesis within 60 days of the viva voce.

(2) All rules regarding thesis examination shall apply.
(d) Rejection of Thesis (Fail)
A student would be considered to have failed the

examination if his thesis fails to meet the requirements of
PhD or Master’s academic level or found to have been
plagiarised.
52. Thesis Submission Following Viva Voce
(i) A student whose thesis is accepted with distinction is given fifteen

(15) days after receiving the final report of the examination to
submit a soft-bound copy of the amended version and a Text
Similarity Search Report to the School for endorsement by the
Senate.
(ii) A student whose thesis is accepted with minor modifications is given

thirty (30) days after receiving the final report of the examination to
Senate.
(iii) A student whose thesis is accepted with major modifications is given

sixty (60) days after receiving the final report of the examination to
Senate.
(iv) A student may apply to the Dean for extension of the date of the
final submission of his thesis. Such an application must be made
through the Chairman of the Supervisory Committee. The Dean
may, at his discretion, extend the date for final submission of a
thesis for up to sixty (60) days only. During the extension period,
the student must continue to be a registered student of the
University.
(v) The Chairman of the Supervisory Committee shall be responsible in

ensuring that all required amendments and corrections have been
made in the thesis.
(vi) The internal examiners shall verify that corrections have been made
to their satisfaction based on the final report of the examination.

(vii) If the thesis is not amended and submitted within the stipulated
time, it shall be deemed to have been rejected and the student’s
candidature is terminated.
(Senate 569.05)
53. Final Thesis Submission
A. Thesis Submission
(i) Upon endorsement by the Senate, the student shall submit the
following to the School:
 two (2) copies of the thesis in hard cover; and
 one (1) softcopy of the thesis on CD.
(ii) Students undertaking a split/jointly awarded or dual/Cotutelle

degree Master’s or PhD programmes must submit their thesis
in accordance with the requirements stipulated in the
Memorandum of Agreement between institutions. Students can
choose to submit their thesis to any one of the collaborating
institutions, and subsequently undergo the examination
process of the chosen institution, unless stated otherwise in
the Memorandum of Agreement.
(Senate 566.03)
B. Copyright and Permissions
(i) The copyright to a thesis belongs to the University or as

stipulated in the Memorandum of Agreement between
institutions.
(ii) Application for a transfer of copyright from the University to

the individual student must be submitted in writing to the
Deputy Vice Chancellor responsible for research and innovation
at the University.
(iii) In the case of no such application being made, or that of an

unsuccessful application for transfer, the copyright will remain
in the ownership of the University.

(Senate 563.06)
Part 10 – Study Status
54. Study Status Categories
The study status of a student at any given semester can be categorised as

follows:
(i) Good Standing
A student shall be deemed to be in Good Standing if he achieves a

minimum CGPA of 3.000 (for both programmes with and without
thesis) and an ‘M’ grade for research work (for programmes with
thesis).
(ii) Probation
A student shall be placed under probation if his CGPA is below

3.000 but not less than 2.500 or if the student receives a ‘TM’
grade for his semester research progress.
(iii) Termination of Candidature
The candidature of a student shall be terminated for any one of the

following reasons:
(a) obtains a CGPA below 2.500 in any one semester;
(b) receives two ‘TM’ grades for his research progress during the
duration of his study or on recommendation of termination
from his supervisor after one ‘M’ grade for his research
progress;
(c) fails to attain the required minimum CGPA of 3.000 in the

semester following the one in which he was placed on
probation;
(d) fails the CE after the second attempt unless recommended for
reversal to a Master’s degree programme;
(e) fails twice in any compulsory course;
(f) fails thrice in the Tertiary English Programme (TEP);

(g) exceeds duration of study;
(h) fails his thesis examination;
(i) does not submit the thesis within a stipulated time after the
thesis examination;
(j) violates any rule or regulation as stipulated by the University.
(iv) Completed
A student shall be deemed to have completed his study when he

has fulfilled all requirements as specified by the programme.
(v) Others
(a) Provisional: A student with Provisional Admission due to non-

fulfilment of language requirements [Rule 14 (vii)] shall be
placed under the Provisional status until he has passed the
TEP.
(b) Suspended: A student with provisional registration who fails

the TEP twice shall be suspended from his study. He is
allowed to repeat the TEP in the following semester but is
barred from registering any other course. If he passes the TEP,
he will be allowed to continue his study but if he fails, his
candidature shall be terminated.
(c) Dropped: A student who fails to register or have not paid his
semester fees shall be dropped from the list of active students.
(d) Withdrawn: A student is automatically withdrawn from

candidature if he fails to register consecutively for two (2)
semesters or upon request to the Dean.
55. Review against Termination of Candidature
(i) A student whose candidature has been terminated may apply for a
review.
(ii) The student must comply with the following guidelines:

(a) file for a review by submitting the appropriate form within two
(2) weeks of the date of the letter of notification or
examination results;
(b) pay a RM50 processing fee for each review;
(c) clear (pay) all outstanding and current fees and other charges
with the University;
(d) state clearly the reasons for the review; and
(e) provide a supporting letter/document (if applicable) from the

course coordinator, Chairman of the Supervisory Committee or
Medical Officer.
(iii) Application for review against termination shall be considered by

the University Graduate Appeal Committee. The result of the
review shall be endorsed by the Senate.
56. Consequence of Termination of Candidature
A student whose candidature has been terminated for any reason [Rule
54 (iii)] other than failure to register for more than two (2) semesters or
one (1) year shall no longer be eligible for readmission into the same level
of graduate programme at the University (Rule 19).
(Senate 504.14)
Part 11 – Graduation
57. Graduation Requirements
(i) A student is eligible for conferral of a degree only if he has

achieved a minimum CGPA of 3.000, and fulfilled the requirements
for courses as certified by the Faculty/Institute/School, and:
(a) in the case of a degree with thesis, passed his thesis
examination;
(b) in the case of a degree programme without thesis, passed all

compulsory courses, and project paper or CE, obtained a
minimum CGPA of 3.000, and completed the internship/
practical training (if any); and
(c) has settled all fees due to the University.

(ii) All international students (except for students from Indonesia and
Brunei) must have obtained a grade ‘M’ for the Malay Language
course (BBM 1401 or its equivalent).
(iii) All students in degree programmes with thesis who commence

their studies from the First Semester of 2008/2009 onwards must
show proof of having published or submitted journal articles based
on research conducted during their candidature prior to graduation
as follows:
Programme Minimum Publication Requirement

PhD One journal article published or accepted, and
one journal article submitted
Master’s One journal article submitted
(Senate 513.05)
(iv) Students in degree programmes with thesis who are recipients of

the Graduate Research Fellowship (GRF) of the University must
submit proof of having published journal articles on research
conducted during their candidature prior to graduation as follows:
Programme Minimum Publication Requirement

PhD Two journal articles published or accepted
Master’s One journal article published or accepted
(v) Notwithstanding Rules 57(iii) and 57(iv), a book chapter for

students in the social sciences is considered as being equivalent to
one journal article.
(vi) A student who has filed for a patent based on research conducted
during his candidature may apply in writing to the Dean for
exemption of Rule 57(iii) or 57(iv).
(vii) All graduating students must submit a graduation form to the

School.
(viii) The jointly awarded/dual degree student may have to fulfil any
other requirement as stipulated in the MoA between the two
institutions.
(Senate 566.03)

58. Award of Degree
The Senate shall endorse the conferment of a Master’s or PhD degree to a

student upon recommendation by the University Graduate Studies
Committee or its equivalent once all requirements for graduation have
been fulfilled.
Part 12 – Scholarly Integrity
59. Prohibition
(i) In keeping with the tradition of scholarly pursuit, a student is

forbidden from committing plagiarism, falsification and fabrication
of data.
(ii) A student shall not plagiarise any idea, writing, data or invention
belonging to another person. Plagiarism includes:
(a) the act of taking an idea, writing, data or an invention of

another person and claiming that the idea, writing, data or
invention is the result of his own findings or creation; or
(b) an attempt to make out or the act of making out in such a

way, that one is the original source or the creator of an idea,
data, writing or an invention which has actually been taken
from some other source.
Without prejudice to the generality of Rule 59(ii)(b), a student is

considered to have committed plagiarism when he:
(a) publishes, with himself as the author, an abstract, article,

scientific or academic paper, or book which is wholly or partly
written by some other person;
(b) incorporates himself or allows himself to be incorporated as a

co-author of an abstract, article, scientific or academic paper,
or book, when he has not at all made any contribution to the
abstract, article, scientific or academic paper or book;
(c) forces another person to include his name in the list of

co-researchers for a particular research project or in the list of
co-authors for a publication when he has not made any

contribution which may qualify him as a co-researcher or
co-author;
(d) extracts academic data which are the results of research

undertaken by some other person, such as laboratory findings
or field work findings or data obtained through library
research, whether published or unpublished, and incorporate
those data as part of his academic research without giving due
acknowledgement to the actual source;
(e) uses research data obtained through collaborative work with

some other person, whether or not that other person is a staff
member or a student of the University, as part of another
distinct personal academic research of his, or for a publication
in his own name as sole author, without obtaining the consent
of his co-researchers prior to embarking on his personal
research or prior to publishing the data;
(f) transcribes the ideas or creations of others kept in whatever

form, whether written, printed or available in electronic form,
or in slide form, or in whatever form of teaching or research
apparatus, or in any other form, and claims either directly or
indirectly that the student is the creator of that idea or
creation;
(g) translates the writing or creation of another person from one

language to another whether wholly or partly, and
subsequently presents the translation in whatever form or
manner as the student’s own writing or creation; or
(h) extracts ideas from another person’s writing or creation and

makes certain modifications without due reference to the
original source and rearranges it in such a way that it appears
as if the student is the creator of those ideas.
(iii) A student shall not fabricate data which include invention or forgery
of research data, recordings or citations, and report them in writing
either in the thesis or in his publications.
(v) A student shall not falsify data which include alteration/modification,

selective omission or misrepresentation of research data or
citations, and report them in writing either in the thesis or his
publications.

(vi) A student is not allowed to employ or delegate another person to
do or write the work which the student submits as his own. This
includes the hiring of ghost writers for writing the entire or part of
the thesis or amending parts or the whole thesis.
60. Penalty
Where a student is found to have contravened Rule 59, disciplinary action

will be taken against the student by the relevant authority of the
University in accordance with the provisions of Universiti Putra Malaysia
(Discipline of Students) Rules 2005.

Universiti Putra Malaysia (Graduate Studies) RULES 2003: (REVISION 2015 - 2016)

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Universiti Putra Malaysia (Graduate Studies) RULES 2003: (REVISION 2015 - 2016)

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UNIVERSITI PUTRA MALAYSIA

UNIVERSITIES AND UNIVERSITY COLLEGES ACT 1971

SCHOOL OF GRADUATE STUDIES

UNIVERSITI PUTRA MALAYSIA (GRADUATE STUDIES)

School of Graduate Studies

UNIVERSITI PUTRA MALAYSIA (GRADUATE STUDIES)

No. Content Page

1. Citation and Commencement 1

2. Definitions and Interpretations 1

PART 2 – PROGRAMMES OF STUDY

3. Types of Degree Programmes 3

4. PhD and Master’s Degree by Research 4

5. Master’s Degree by Coursework 4

6. Master’s Degrees in the Medical Fields 5

7. Split/Jointly Awarded and Dual/Cotutelle Degree 5

10. Extension of Study 8

11. Credit Exemption 9

PART 3 – ADMISSION REQUIREMENTS

12. Academic Qualification for Doctoral (PhD) Degree 9

13. Academic Qualification for Master’s Degree Programmes 10

14. Language Requirement 10

15. Conversion of Provisional Admission to Full Admission 13

16. Validity of Offer of Admission 13

17. Transfer Students from other Universities/Institutions 14

18. Deferment of Admission 14

19. Restriction on Admission 14

20. General Requirements 14

21. Registration of New Students 16

22. Registration of Continuing Students 16

23. Late Registration 16

24. Course Registration 17

25. Residential Requirements 17

PART 5 – ADDING/DROPPING OF COURSES,

26. Adding/Dropping of Courses 18

27. Transfer between Programmes and/or Fields of Study 19

28. Conversion from Master’s to PhD Degree Programme 19

29. Reversal from PhD to Master’s Degree Programme 21

30. Deferment of Semester 21

31. Withdrawal of Candidature 22

32. Payment of Fees 22

33. Refund of Fees 22

34. Appointment of Study Advisor 23

35. Appointment of Supervisory Committee 23

36. Criteria for Chairman of Supervisory Committee 24

37. Criteria for Members of Supervisory Committee 26

38. Restriction on Appointment 27

39. Nomination and Appointment of Supervisory Committee 27

40. Reconstitution of Supervisory Committee 27

41. Responsibilities of the Supervisory Committee 28

42. Supervisor-to-Student Ratio 28

PART 8 – COURSE EVALUATION

43. Grading System 29

44. Replacement of Grade 30

45. Re-sit of Semester’s Course Examination 30

46. Repeat of Final (Last) Semester 31

47. Review of Course Grade 31

48 Research Progress Report 31

PART 9 – EXAMINATION PROCESS

49. Course Examination 31

50. Comprehensive Examination at Doctoral Level 32

51. Final Examination for Programmes with Thesis 33

52. Thesis Submission Following Viva voce 38

53. Final Thesis Submission 39